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Monday, April 25, 2011

We were out of town over the weekend and returned last night, after dark, tired and a bit stressed out from the car antics of a sleepy 4 year old who wouldn't "give up the ghost." (Where did that saying come from, I wonder...)

On the fun side we hung out with "Papa and the two grammies" as my son calls my stepdad, my mom, and my grandma. What did we do Saturday you might be asking. Well, we went to the largest quilt shop in southern Indiana, the Stitching Post, in Washington!

This shop is about a 2 hour drive from my grandma's house and my parents had taken Grandma there one year for Mother's Day. There's is also a buffet style restaurant that they like where we all over ate after shopping. My mom doesn't quilt but she sews, sew she appreciates all the fabric and came out with some Chez Moi to make a blouse for the county fair this summer. I told her to save me the scraps - LOL!

After getting my bearings - there was so much fabric - I found some fabric to bring home, ummm, 3.25 yds to be exact. As we all know, it adds up! Here are my purchases:

Some more Civil War prints (1/2 yds). Could not resist that light paisley, and the green, and the gold all from Jo Morton. The browns are Harper's Ferry by Nancy Gere and were on the sale rack.

I did not purchase the brand spanking new Primitive Quilts and Projects. That was a win from Kathy Schmitz's blog. It has some really pretty projects - and it's all projects, not half magazine and half advertisements (I'm not much of a magazine reader, hate all those ads). Highly recommend it if you're looking for some new projects.

I got a FQ of a cute B&W and 1/2 yard of Luna Notte for a bag project with a candy bar stack. I noticed that when this shop buys something from a line, it seemed to buy the whole line - what fun! - there were more than 20 bolts of Luna Notte with less than half left on them.

My birthday is coming up so my mom gave me my gifts this weekend. She found this book at TSC (that's Tractor Supply Company for you city folk!).

Can't wait to read it! Of course, I've already looked at all the blocks.

My stepdad embroidered this apron. I mentioned that I had almost bought one at the local quilt show last month that had this saying on it. He played with the font and added the sewing machine and quilt block. I like the red! This is s...e...w me!

Oh - and one more addition to the stash. I ordered some Sunkissed from 1 Choice for Quilting. As you know, I've won two of their giveaways and have plans for the Sunkissed. On the our local shop hop I found out that there are about 6 different prints of this line in our area. So, I ordered 2 yds from Shawna.

Not only did I get the fabric beautifully packaged and delivered for $2.95 shipping, but there was also a lovely handwritten Thank You note. Love the packaging - each cut in its own bag with an id label. The small pink pieces were little extras with a note asking if I had room for them! The nail file was an extra goodie, too.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

This week I was out of town for 3 nights on a consulting job. Translation: I didn't cook from Sunday lunch through Wednesday night dinner - WooHoo! On the other hand, There was lots of catchin' up to do when I got home.

Still haven't made it to the grocery store. Might have done so had I not locked myself out of the house Friday morning taking the dog on a walk (part of catchin' up).

As I closed the door, I knew I didn't have the key. So, a little unplanned cleaning of the garage took place while waiting for DH to come home and let me in. Then, we went out to lunch - we NEVER get to go to lunch, just the 2 of us. Another bonus!

While lying in my hotel bed, almost ready to turn out the light, I read the 1 Choice for Quilting blog and discovered that I had won another of their giveaways! What are the chances, huh?!

16 fat quarters of Fee Spirit's Happy Flowers by Donna Dewberry. Very springy! Haven't shown them to DS yet. He may add them to his stash. He literally stashes his fabric under his train table.

Also while I was away my mug rug arrived from the swap hosted by Leona of Leona's Quilting Adventure. I had to wait 2 days to see it!

Isn't it pretty!? Alberta did all kinds of fun things - she appliqued, she embroidered, and she did some weaving. Yes, all on the left is weaving! Isn't that beautiful? I don't know if I want to use it or hang it up and look at it b/c it's so pretty!

The other thing Alberta did that I must also try; she used the backing as binding, like my grandma always did. These things are small and I found the double binding technique that I use for quilts is awfully bulky for them. Note to self for wall hangings, etc.

There are some tutorials out there for single binding, too:
1) http://verykerryberry.blogspot.com/2011/01/single-binding-tutorial.html,
2) http://thelittleredhen.typepad.com/my_weblog/quilt-binding-tutorial.html.
I have not tried either of these, just for reference.

Here's the mug rug I made for Alberta. She requested Civil War fabrics and as you know, I've been collecting them for our guild's BOM this year. Civil War fabrics screamed for something traditional and it doesn't get much more traditional than an Ohio Star block (aka Swamp Angel). Plus, this version uses four fabrics.

Speaking of BOM.... The only sewing for me this week happened last night at my LQS sew down. The regular goal for myself is finish my guild blocks first and then work on something else.

However, I left my Quilt in a Day 6.5" triangle square up ruler hanging on my wall so it took me a while to square up 32 half square triangles. If you've never used this ruler, you square up the HST before you open it up and press by lining the seam up on the diagonal lines. Two layers, two cuts = fast.

This block is called Catch Me If You Can. This is the 12.5" version for the block lotto.

And this is the 6.5" version that I keep. Usually I vary the fabric selection for each block but I liked this one and I was tired so choosing one colorway this month was enough.

Oh - one of my quilty friends brought me a honey bun last night that she's decided not to use. It's Swanky by Chez Moi. I've not used a honey bun before but I'm thinking about making four of Moda's Sweet Treat bags - assembly line style.

Another quilty friend brought some crushed walnut shells. These are very fine shells. Now I can make some of the Schnibbles pincushions.

Also last night...here's my first ever Tupperware purchase. Not quilt related but still cool, even for someone who doesn't like to be in the kitchen!
Sew, here are the numbers:

Used this Week: 0
Used year to Date: 28.875 (28 7/8)
Added this Week: 5.67 (5 2/3)
Added Year to Date: 42.42
Net Used for 2011: -13.50

Uh-oh - the negative is creeping up into double digits! For more stash reporting, visit Judy's blog.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Spring seems to have sprung ... finally! The birds are singing, my flowers are blooming and working outside yesterday was hot! Oh - yes - and the eggs are being colored and then turned into dinosaurs!

With all the pretty weather I've not gotten a thing done sewing-wise. My consulting job starts tomorrow so I've been busy preparing for that. Well, I did mail off my mug rug for Leona's Mug Rug Swap but I'll wait til next week to show you that (not sure if my partner checks my blog and don't want to ruin the surprise).

Oh - how can I forget that I added 3 yards of my favorite fabric to my stash?! DS wants a Dresden plate quilt like the block I'm making for the QAL at Lily's Quilts and I've decided to use Hoffman's 1895 #360, Waikiki, as the background. My LQS had a coupon for 40% off a cut of fabric. So I had to go get something - you don't throw out 40% off! DH asked me why, after visiting 14 shops last weekend, did I need to go to another one - he doesn't get it!

Yesterday, another little stash item arrived. It's from Terri at UFOs and UBIs.

She had her first giveaway and it was during my lucky week. For about 3 weeks I won something in various giveaways. Isn't that cute?! It makes a 16" square topper - just my size.

Here's something else from a giveaway. It arrived last week but with the shop hop I forgot to show it to you. It is a handmade yoga bag from My Zen Art. I won this from The Everything Yoga Blog.

It is very roomy - holds a mat, a blanket, a block, and probably a few more props.

That interior pocket is deep and has a velcro closure. Isn't that embroidery pretty on the outside pocket?

So that's it on the fabric front for me this week. Here are the numbers:
Used this Week: 3
Used year to Date: 28.875 (28 7/8)
Added this Week: 3
Added Year to Date: 36.75
Net Used for 2011: -7.875 (-7 7/8)

That negative number gets larger all the time - I better get something done soon! For more numbers, check out Judy's blog, Patchwork Times.

Monday, April 4, 2011

This was one of my finds at one of the 14 shops I visited Friday through Sunday. What fun! I spent more than I thought I would but, not enough to make me feel bad. After all, we were in 14 shops! Five of us piled in a van Saturday morning and off we went to explore.

Sew, here are the additions to my sewing corner (yes, a corner, no separate room for me).

I was very excited to find the Atkinson zippers at one shop. Have you priced zippers at Joann's and Hancock's? These zippers are half the price at $.90 each. Plus, the extra little goodies like nail files, book marks, a green Sewline chalk marker refill, and a freebie pen from one shop.

Speaking of freebies - one shop gave everyone a square from a panel just for hopping and having our passports stamped. The theme this year was "Winter Wonderland." We saw Christmas decorations and received candy canes.

A friend and I decided to take a chance on a Grab Bag. We got bolt ends of flannel that average 1/4 yd each. Here's 1.25 yds for my report. I don't work with flannel too much. Do you have any suggestions for small projects with flannel? It's okay to add flannel squares to a scrappy quilt just like quilting cotton, isn't it?

Here's the rest of my fabric purchases. I only had one fabric cut - the B&W that might be bothering your eyes in this photo. I love this kind of fabric so I had to get 1/2 yd (that I will probably cut into 2 FQs). The rest are FQs. I could buy FQs forever! Only 10 came home with me and 3 of those were on sale for $1 each. There's another 2.5 yds.

Here are the numbers:

Used this Week: 0
Used year to Date: 28.875 (28 7/8)
Added this Week: 3.75
Added Year to Date: 33.75
Net Used for 2011: -4.875 (-4 7/8)

Friday, April 1, 2011

A new design wall. From Karen's blog, Sew Many Ways, I was inspired to shop the clearance aisles with new eyes. That's when I picked up this tablecloth for $1.98, I believe.

On an earlier day I had found these curtain clips. I already use these in our home and thought, "hey! that's a good price, I made need these some day." And on another day I found these 3M hooks. I didn't know those ever went on the sale shelf.

Now I was ready to buy the 3M hooks at regular price as I had decided to make a new, bigger, and removable design wall.

On my new design wall are my QAL projects. I put the inner circle in my 24.5" diameter Dresden plate block. It is a circle seam and not nearly as difficult as it sounds as long as you pin, pin, pin. Thanks, Lynn, for that lesson! This is my WHOOP WHOOP hook up for Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

4 yards of Sunkissed won from 1 Choice for Quilting

If you remember from my last post, I showed you 4 yards of fabric that I won from 1 Choice for Quilting. Well, Shawna is at it again - she's giving away 7 yards this time! It is from Anthology and is called Sweet Tooth. There are 14 different fabrics in 1/2 yard cuts. This giveaway ends Sunday, April 3, at 10:00 pm EST, so don't delay.

Have a great weekend. This morning I'm off to start on my first ever shop hop - WOO HOO!

Welcome

This is where I talk about what's going on in my little corner of the world. Much of my ramblings focus on my hobby - quilting, or on my family. It is also a forum to discuss the differences in lifestyle and attitudes that I observe between growing up in a rural area and moving to the 'burbs in a major metropolitan area.